Door-controlling means.



H. G. VOIGHT.

DOOR CONTROLLING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1913.

1,083,962 Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

V AQ/a/ Q g eurrnn sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE",

HENRY G. VOIGHT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

DOOR-CONTROLLING MEANS.

New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Controlling Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates toan improved form of controlling means for sliding doors and more especially to controlling means of the general type shown in my Patent- No. 1,041,706, dated October 15, 1912. In this type of controlling means a toggle lever is employed connecting the sliding door to its casing or other relatively stationary abutment, the forward end of the toggle being pivotally connected to the door and the rear end of the toggle pivot-ally connected to a bracket secured to the door casing. The rear end of this toggle has secured thereto a transversely extending arm which is pivotally connected to the plunger of a casingcarried power cylinder, this cylinder normally operating to move the toggle levers in a direction to move the door to closed position. In order to be most effective, the toggle levers should be of a definite length one such instance being in the case of lovers which are designed to extend in horizontal alinement when the door is closed to afford a dead center lock against opening movement. In previous constructions the rear lever of the toggle has been connected directly to the casing-carried bracket, the cylinder connected transverse arm being at tached thereto.

The construction of the present invention provides a link forming part of the rear member of the toggle and having the transverse cylinder connected arm formed integral therewith, this link being itself pivotally connect-ed at one end to the casing-carried bracket and providing means for the adjustable connection thereto of the rear end of the rear toggle lever. Such a c011- struction not only provides adjustment means for the toggle; forms a strong connecting link including the transverse arm, which may be formed integrally as by casting, and may vary in shape with the requirements of specific cases; but also enables the assembling of the power cylinder and this link as a standard unit of construction ready for application to any desired point on a door casing or other stationary abutment.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 14, 1913.

Patented J an. 13, 1914. Serial No. 748,350.

These and other advantages will more fully appear from the detailed specification following taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and illustrating a preferable embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of the adjusting link, 0011- nected toggle lever and power cylinder mounted in door closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar View of said parts in door opened position. Fig. 3 is a top plan vieW of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by numerals: 1 refers to the door casing, wall, or other stationary abutment to which there is appropriately secured a bed plate 2. This plate is provided adjacent its upper and lower ends with brackets 3 and 4c. Pivotally secured to the bracket 3 at its rear end is a link member 5 having an arm (5 extending transversely therefrom and formed integrally therewith, this arm adjacent its end being bifurcated as at 7 and being pivotally connected to the upper end of a piston rod 8 of the piston of a power cylinder 9. The head of this power cylinder at its lower end is provided with an arm 10 which is pivotally secured to the lower bracket 1 of the bed plate 2. i

The face of the link member 5 is channeled to receive the rear end of the rear toggle lever 12 of a pair of pivotally interconnected levers, the forward end of the forward toggle lever being pivotally mounted upon a sliding door as hereinbefore described and as shown in my patent hereinbefore referred to. This toggle lever 12 ad jacent its rear end is provided with one or more elongated slots 13 therein, these slots occurring in that portion of the lever 12 which is seated within the channel portion 11 of the link member 5. This link member 5 is apertured to receive one or more sets of nuts and bolts 14, the bolts being adapted to project through the elongated slots 13 in the lever 12, and by means of their nuts to securely clamp the lever 12 to the link 5. The elongated slots 13 of the lever provides means whereby the length of the lever 12 or of the toggle may be varied and whereby the proper overall length of the toggle and its range of movement may be adjusted as desired. I,

The link member 5 may, and 'nfeferably is, an integrally cast body and may be shaped to suit varying conditions. Ordinarily, the link will be made substantially straight as illustrated herein, but this shape may be varied to conform to the varying conditions of elevator shafts. By casting these link members to conform to the various types of elevator doors and shafts, the necessity of bending the rear end of the toggle arm as heretofore practised, is obviated. By forming the transverse arm 6 integral with the link member 5, as by casting, a much stronger construction is afforded and economy in manufacture also effected. Another feature achieved through the use of a link member 5 is that this link member and the power cylinder forming the closing mechanism, may be assembled and mounted upon the bed plate 2 as an assembled unit of construction which may be readily applied to the side of the door casing or wall as assembled, the rear end ofthe toggle being then connected thereto, this being permissible by reason of the adjustment afforded at the rear end of the toggle.

I have only deemed it necessary herein to illustrate the rear end of a single lever member which is operatively connected to a sliding door, as by another link member forming therewith a toggle, the closing mechanism operating through the arm 6 of the link member to actuate the lever or lever members to move the door to closed position. The device of the present invention may, of course, be used in connectlon with forms of sliding closures other than the sliding doors of elevator wells, and it will be understood that its scope and range of use includes all forms of sliding closures wherein such an operating means may be desirable. Furthermore, while I have described and shown herein a specific embodiment of my invention, I desire it understood that various structural changes are possible within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

\Vhat 1 claim therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In operating means for sliding closures, a link member arranged to be pivotally connected adjacent one end to a stationary abutment and having an arm extending transversely therefrom adjacent one end, power mechanism operatively connected with said transverse arm and arranged to swing said link in one direction, and a closure operating lever arm having one end overlapping the free end of said link, and means for adjustably connecting said link and lever arm at their point of overlap.

HENRY Gr. VOIGHT.

Witnesses i I GWENDoLINE A. JACKSON, CHARLES E. RUssELL. 

